On September 11, 2020, a meeting between Mr. Asset Assavbayev, Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA and H.E. Mr. Bahram Ashrafkhanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan was held via web conferencing

The containerization of cargo, facilitation of border crossing procedures, digitalization of the transportation process, liberalization of the permit system for cargo transportation, and rationalization of the TRACECA route scheme are noted among the main areas.

In addition, the regulation of tariff policy issues, and the introduction of electronic pre-declaration, the provisions of the draft Agreement on a STP, attracting grants from the TA projects, and other issues were the focus of discussions.

The participants of the meeting pointed out that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in the region, the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), the introduction of through tariffs and the phased implementation of forward-looking initiatives along the ITC TRACECA increase its attractiveness and make it more competitive.

The discussions also touched upon the possibilities of a feeder system for international cargo transport along the corridor, which allows integrating various modes of transport and effective storing/exporting the general cargo by shipping companies on the regular shipping lines in containers.
 
In his turn, the Ambassador expressed interest in the current status of bilateral relations in Uzbekistan-TRACECA format, as well as the country's contribution to the development of trade and economic ties, considering them as one of the pillars of mutually beneficial cooperation.

As a full member of the MLA TRACECA, Uzbekistan has succeeded in economic and infrastructural development in recent years. In terms of export, the country has adopted and is systematically implementing a Complex program to improve the transport infrastructure and diversify foreign trade routes for cargo transportation for 2018-2022.

In conclusion, the Parties agreed to exchange up-to-date information in order to further expand the participation of Uzbekistan in TRACECA activities.